---
title: "Q-Cells vs Recom - Brand Comparison | ComparePV"
description: "Compare Q-Cells vs Recom solar panels: full portfolio, efficiency, cell technology breakdown, warranty terms and company background."
source: "https://comparepv.com/q-cells-vs-recom"
---

# Q-Cells vs Recom

Q-Cells has the broader catalog (89 vs 61 models). Recom leads on peak efficiency at 24.30%.


## The two companies


| Attribute | Q-Cells | Recom |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Country | South Korea | Italy |
| Headquarters | Seoul | Bolzano |
| Founded | 1999 | 2007 |
| Employees | 2000+ |  |
| Annual capacity | 11.2 GW/year |  |
| Tier 1 | yes | no |
| Listed | NASDAQ: HQCL |  |
| Website | [https://www.qcells.com](https://www.qcells.com) | [https://www.recom-tech.com](https://www.recom-tech.com) |

Qcells is a renowned global provider of complete energy solutions, specializing in solar cells and modules, energy storage solutions, downstream project business, and energy retail. The company has a strong heritage dating back to its foundation in Germany and has become a leader in technology innovations. As an...


## Catalog & Power


| Measure | Q-Cells | Recom | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Panel Models | 89 | 61 | +28 |
| Max Power | 675 W | 730 W | +55 W |
| Avg Power | 468 W | 548 W | +79 W |


## Efficiency


| Measure | Q-Cells | Recom | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Max Efficiency | 23.20% | 24.30% | +1.10 pp |
| Avg Efficiency | 21.21% | 22.68% | +1.46 pp |


## Reliability & Warranty


| Measure | Q-Cells | Recom | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Avg Temp Coefficient | -0.325%/°C | -0.284%/°C | +0.040 |
| Bifacial Share | 35 (39%) | 23 (38%) | +2 pp |
| Avg Warranty | 27.0 yrs | 30.0 yrs | +3.0 yr |


## Efficiency distribution

Recom skews to higher efficiency: 33% of lineup is 23%+


| Efficiency band | Q-Cells | Recom |
| --- | --- | --- |
| \<20% | 7 (7.9%) | 0 |
| 20-21% | 29 (32.6%) | 0 |
| 21-22% | 30 (33.7%) | 5 (8.2%) |
| 22-23% | 21 (23.6%) | 36 (59.0%) |
| 23%+ | 2 (2.2%) | 20 (32.8%) |


## Power distribution

Recom offers more 600W+ panels (36% of lineup)


| Power band | Q-Cells | Recom |
| --- | --- | --- |
| \<400W | 20 (22.5%) | 0 |
| 400-499W | 41 (46.1%) | 34 (55.7%) |
| 500-599W | 11 (12.4%) | 5 (8.2%) |
| 600-699W | 17 (19.1%) | 12 (19.7%) |
| 700W+ | 0 | 10 (16.4%) |


## Cell technology

Dominant cell tech: **PERC** (43%)

Dominant cell tech: **TOPCon** (84%)


| Technology | Q-Cells | Recom |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PERC | 38 (42.7%) | 0 |
| N-type | 23 (25.8%) | 5 (8.2%) |
| Unknown | 20 (22.5%) | 0 |
| TOPCon | 8 (9.0%) | 51 (83.6%) |
| HJT | 0 | 5 (8.2%) |


## Top panels, Q-Cells


| # | Model | Power | Efficiency | Temp. coefficient | Technology |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | [Q.PEAK DUO ML-G12S.3 / BFG 675](https://comparepv.com/panel/q-cells-q-peak-duo-ml-g12s-3-bfg-675) | 675 | 21.7 | -0.340 | Monocrystalline |
| 2 | [Q.PEAK DUO ML-G12S.3 / BFG 670](https://comparepv.com/panel/q-cells-q-peak-duo-ml-g12s-3-bfg-670) | 670 | 21.6 | -0.340 | Monocrystalline |
| 3 | [Q.PEAK DUO ML-G12S.3 / BFG 665](https://comparepv.com/panel/q-cells-q-peak-duo-ml-g12s-3-bfg-665) | 665 | 21.4 | -0.340 | Monocrystalline |
| 4 | [Q.PEAK DUO ML-G12S.3 / BFG 660](https://comparepv.com/panel/q-cells-q-peak-duo-ml-g12s-3-bfg-660) | 660 | 21.2 | -0.340 | Monocrystalline |
| 5 | [Q.PEAK DUO ML-G12S.3 / BFG 655](https://comparepv.com/panel/q-cells-q-peak-duo-ml-g12s-3-bfg-655) | 655 | 21.1 | -0.340 | Monocrystalline |
| 6 | [Q.PEAK DUO ML-G12S.3 / BFG 650](https://comparepv.com/panel/q-cells-q-peak-duo-ml-g12s-3-bfg-650) | 650 | 20.9 | -0.340 | Monocrystalline |
| 7 | [Q.TRON XL-G2.3 / BFG 645](https://comparepv.com/panel/q-cells-q-tron-xl-g2-3-bfg-645) | 645 | 23.1 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 8 | [Q.TRON XL-G2.3 / BFG 640](https://comparepv.com/panel/q-cells-q-tron-xl-g2-3-bfg-640) | 640 | 22.9 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 9 | [Q.TRON XL-G2.3 / BFG 635](https://comparepv.com/panel/hanwha-q-cells-america-inc-q-tron-xl-g2-3-bfg-635) | 635 | 22.7 | -0.300 | Monocrystalline |
| 10 | [Q.TRON XL-G2.3 / BFG 630](https://comparepv.com/panel/hanwha-q-cells-america-inc-q-tron-xl-g2-3-bfg-630) | 630 | 22.6 | -0.300 | Monocrystalline |


## Top panels, Recom


| # | Model | Power | Efficiency | Temp. coefficient | Technology |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | [RCM-730-8DBNM](https://comparepv.com/panel/recom-rcm-730-8dbnm) | 730 | 23.5 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 2 | [RCM-725-8DBNM](https://comparepv.com/panel/recom-rcm-725-8dbnm) | 725 | 23.3 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 3 | [RCM-720-8DBNM](https://comparepv.com/panel/recom-rcm-720-8dbnm) | 720 | 23.2 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 4 | [RCM-715-8DBNM](https://comparepv.com/panel/recom-rcm-715-8dbnm) | 715 | 23.0 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 5 | [RCM-715-8NM](https://comparepv.com/panel/recom-rcm-715-8nm) | 715 | 23.0 | -0.300 | Monocrystalline |
| 6 | [RCM-710-8DBNM](https://comparepv.com/panel/recom-rcm-710-8dbnm) | 710 | 22.9 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 7 | [RCM-710-8NM](https://comparepv.com/panel/recom-rcm-710-8nm) | 710 | 22.9 | -0.300 | Monocrystalline |
| 8 | [RCM-705-8DBNM](https://comparepv.com/panel/recom-rcm-705-8dbnm) | 705 | 22.7 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 9 | [RCM-705-8NM](https://comparepv.com/panel/recom-rcm-705-8nm) | 705 | 22.7 | -0.300 | Monocrystalline |
| 10 | [RCM-700-8NM](https://comparepv.com/panel/recom-rcm-700-8nm) | 700 | 22.5 | -0.300 | Monocrystalline |


## Summary

Q-Cells is a German-founded, South Korean-owned manufacturer, established in 1999 in Bitterfeld-Wolfen, Germany, and acquired out of bankruptcy in 2012 by Hanwha, a large South Korean conglomerate. Today it operates as Hanwha Qcells, holding both Bloomberg NEF Tier 1 and S&P Global Tier 1 Cleantech status, with global module production capacity in the low-to-mid teens of gigawatts per year and manufacturing sites in South Korea, Malaysia, China and the United States, including the largest solar factory in the Western Hemisphere in Dalton, Georgia. Recom is a smaller, France-based manufacturer that also carries Bloomberg Tier 1 status, with installed capacity reported around 3.2 GW, a much more modest institutional footprint than Q-Cells but still recognized within bankability rankings. Between the two, Q-Cells has the clearly stronger institutional backing, thanks to Hanwha's scale, US domestic manufacturing presence and broader financial resources.

In terms of product focus, Q-Cells is best known for mainstream residential and commercial rooftop panels using N-type and PERC-derived cell technology, and it has leaned heavily into US-made modules to capture domestic content incentives, making it a common choice for North American homeowners and installers seeking a bankable, widely serviced brand. Recom's portfolio skews toward higher-efficiency panels, including heterojunction (HJT) modules such as its Lion series, which reaches up to roughly 720 W and 23.2% efficiency with bifacial, double-glass construction aimed at utility-scale and large commercial arrays, alongside TOPCon-based products for other segments.

For a typical residential buyer in 2025, Q-Cells is generally the safer default given its larger manufacturing base, longer track record, and stronger local installer and service network, particularly in the US market. Recom is a reasonable choice for buyers or developers prioritizing higher per-panel efficiency or HJT technology for utility and large commercial projects, but its smaller scale means less redundancy in supply and service compared with Q-Cells.

\---LINKS---

\- https://www.pv-magazine.com/2023/10/31/recom-presents-720-w-heterojunction-solar-module/ \| Recom unveils 720 W heterojunction solar modules \| article

\- https://www.hanwha.com/newsroom/news/press-releases/hanwha-acquires-qcells-one-of-the-worlds-leading-photovoltaics-companies.do \| Hanwha Acquires Q.CELLS, One of the World's Leading PV Companies \| article

\- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qcells \| Qcells company overview and Hanwha ownership history \| article

\- https://taiyangnews.info/topic/recom-technologies \| Recom Technologies coverage archive on TaiyangNews \| article

Written by claude-sonnet-5 from the figures above.


## Other comparisons

- [Q-Cells vs A.B. Energy](https://comparepv.com/q-cells-vs-a-b-energy)
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- [Q-Cells vs AEET](https://comparepv.com/q-cells-vs-aeet)
- [AIKO vs Recom](https://comparepv.com/aiko-vs-recom)
- [Q-Cells vs AKCOME](https://comparepv.com/q-cells-vs-akcome)
- [ARTsolar vs Recom](https://comparepv.com/artsolar-vs-recom)


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Source: https://comparepv.com/q-cells-vs-recom

Not in this file, on the page: the distributions above drawn as charts.